Waste-valve for hydrants.



No. 628,023.A Patented my 4, |899. H. F. NEUMEYER.

WASTE VALVE FORHYDRANTS.

(Applimion med Dec. 29, 189s.,

{No Model.)

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE FALK NEUMEYER, OF MACUNGIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASTE-VALVE FOR HYDRANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,023, dated July 4,1899.

I Application filed December 29, 1898. Serial. No. 700,639. (No model.)

YT all w/tmit t may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE FALK NEU- MEYER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid-v ing at Macungie, in the county of Lehigh and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Waste -Valve for Hyd rants,of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in waste-valves for hydrants andlike structures; and the primary object of the invention is to providean improved construction in which the delivery-pipe is drainedautomatically of the water standing above the plunger-valve, therebyovercoming any tendency of the water freezing in the pipe during coldweather and preventing any escape of water while tapping the pipe ormain.

A further object is to provide an improved construction in which aduid-operated pistonvalve tends to closethe drain-port before water ispermitted to pass through the hollow plunger-valve to the delivery-pipe,and said piston-valve is operated solely and automatically by thepressure of the duid in the hydrant. a

A further object is to construct the hollow or chambered plunger-valvewith guides that serve to direct the piston-valve and form the waterwaysfor the passage of water and for the water to press the piston-valveclosely against the plunger-valve for securely closing the drain-porttherein. K

iVith these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combinationof elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which willbe hereinafter Afully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated thepreferred embodi-V ment thereof in the accompanying drawings, formingapart of this specification, and in which- 1 Figure 1 is a verticalsection of my improved waste-valve for hydrants, showing the chamberedplunger-valve seated in the footcasing and with the piston-valve loweredto the seat in the chambered'plunger-valve for opening the drain-porttherein. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the plunger-valveraised to its open position and showing the piston-valve elevated toclose the drain-port in said plunger-valve. Fig. 3 is a vertical sec-4'of Fig. 3.

valve on a plane at right angles'to Figs. 1 and 2 and indicated by thedotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional viewon the line 4t Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the piston-valve.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in eachof the several iigures of the drawings.

The casing 10 at the foot of the hydrant is provided with an elbow 11,to which the Water-supply pipe 12 is connected by means of the coupling13, andwithin this casing 10 is the chamber 14 and the valve-seat 15.The outside or main pipe 16 of the hydrant has a threaded connection 17with the valve-casing 10, and within the chamber 14 of the casingoperates the plunger-valve 18, to which is connected the discharge-pipe19 of the hydrant. This discharge-pipe 19 has a threaded lower extremity20, which is screwed into the internally-threaded coupling-neck 21 ofthe plunger-valve 13, and, as is usual in the art, the discharge-pipe 19is connected with a suitable operating device of the hydrant for thepurpose of raising or lowering theplungervalve 18 away from or towardits seat-15 in the foot-casing 10. As the means for operating thehydrant are ordinary in the art and constitute no part of the presentinvention, I have not considered it necessary to illustrate or describethe same. The plunger-valve 13 is chambered or hollow, and its upper endis partially closed by the coupling-neck 21, while its lower open endhas a female thread. In this lower open end of the chamberedplunger-valve is screwed the upper threaded part 0f a plug 22, which isprovided, at a point intermediate of its length, with a circumferentialcollar 23. leather or any other suitable material, is slipped over theplug 22 to impinge or bear against the lower edge of the plunger-valve1S, and this packing is clamped firmly in place between the collar 23 ofthe plug 22 and the lower edge of the plunger-valve 18 when the threadedplug is screwed home into the chambered plunger-valve. The plug 23 isbored to provide the longitudinal waterpassage 25,

and said plug is furthermore provided with a.

transverse waterway 26, which opens, into`or communicates with thelongitudinal passage A cup-shaped vpacking 24, of

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25. The lower partfof the plug 22, `which is formedwith the transversewaterway 2o', protrudes below the plunger-valve 18, and to the lowerextremity of this valve-plug 22 is tted a gasket 27, that is held firmlyin place by the screw 28, which is attached to the plug 22.

The hollow1 plunger-valve 18 has the pistonvalve chamber 2a, and thelower part of this chamber is formed, as hereinafter more :fullydescribed, with aseries of guide ribs or anges 30 31 32, three in numberand arranged to direct the slidable movement of the piston-valve and toform a blind passage and waterways for the escape or passage of the duidthrough the chambered plunger-Valve. In the embodiment of the inventionrepresented by the drawings l have shown the piston-valvechamber 29 ofthe plunger-valve 18 as provided with a series of three longitudinalguide ribs or flanges, (indica-ted at 30, 31, and 32,) which areparallel to each other, and the space between the upper ends of theguideribs 31 32 is closed by an arc-shaped transverse partition 33,which joins with said ribs 3l 32 for the purpose of forming a blindpassage 3-1, as shown more clearly by Figs. 3 and 4, to which water isadmitted when the pist0n-valve is raised for the `purpose ofexertinglateral pressure on the piston-valve and forcing the latterclosely against the wall of the plunger-valve 18, in which thedrain-port is provided. It will be understood that the blind passage 34is formed between the ribs 31 32, and that the upper end of this blindpassage is closed by the transverse partition 33. The space between theribs 30 and 31 forms a waterway 35, and similarly the space between theribs 32 and 30 forms another waterway 35, thus providing two waterwayson `opposite sides of the blind passage 34. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) Theupper part of the piston-valve chamber 29,above the upper ends of theribs 30 to 32, inclusive, is enlarged, as at 36, and with this enlargedpart of the chamber 29 communicates the waterways 35, thereby providingfor the free upward fiow or passage of the water through the chamber 29when the plunger-valve 18 is raised from its seat and the piston-valvefrom its seat on the upper end of the bored plug 22. The plunger-Valve18 is furthermore provided with a drain-port 37, which is formed in thevalve 18 at a point diametrically opposite to the blind `passage 31 andin a position to communcate with one of the guide-ribs 31, and thisdrain-port is formed in the plunger-valve 18 at a point above the upperextremity of the seat formed by the threaded plug 22, the distance ofsaid port 37 from the plug 22 exceeding the length of the piston-valve38. This piston-valve is made of a solid piece of metal which is turnedto accurately fit the space inclosed or bounded by the ribs 30 3l 32,and the length of the piston-valve is less than the distance between thethreaded plug 22 and the drain-port 37, thus opening `or exposing thedrain-port 37 when the piston-valve is lowered to rest upon the upperextremity ot'isaid plug 22. The piston-valve is free to slideor travelin a verticaldirection within the guides formed by the ribs in thechamber 29 of the plungervalve, and the piston-Valve is lifted solely bythe pressure of water admittedlby the bored plug 22 to the chamber ofthe plunger-valve, while the valve 38 is adapted to seat itself bygravity when the flow of water through the hydrant is cut 0E. Thispiston-Valve is provided atits upper end with a central projecting nib40, and it is furthermore,provided with a vertical vent-passage 41, thatextends entirely through said piston-valve and opens through theopposite ends thereof. The upward Inovement of the piston-valve underthe pressure of the rising column of water admitted to the chamber ofthe plunger-valve `18 is arrested by means of a stop-bar 42, which isarranged in the enlarged upper part 36 of the chamber 29 to lie directlyin the path ofthe central `nib on the piston-valve. The Valve `itselfdoes not contact with the stop-bar; but itscentral nib is arranged toengage with the stop-bar, thus providing a limited area of contact forthe valve against the bar and enabling the water to flow freely aroundthe piston-valve and thence to the plunger-valve into the discharge-pipe19.

Although I have shown and described the chamber of the lplunger-valve asprovided with a series of three ribs to form a blind passage aud twowaterways, I do not strictly confine myself to this specificconstruction of the ribs for the formation of the blind passage and thetwo waterways, asI am aware that the piston-valve may be pressed closelyagainst the side of the plunger-valve having the drainport in order tosecurely close the latter by the pressure of water against thepiston-Valve by modifying the internal construction of the chamberedplunger-valve.

The operation may be described as follows: Assuming that theplunger-valve is lowered for the washer 27 to occupy the seat 15 in thecasing 10, the flow of water through the hydrant is out off and thepiston-valve seats itself by gravity on the upper end of the plug 22,thereby opening the drain-port 37 and permitting the water above theplunger-Valve and the piston-valve to trickle or drain through the port37 into the outside main pipe 16 of the hydrant. Then the operatingdevice of the hydrant is actuated to raise the plungervalve 18 from itsseat 15 in the casing 10, water is permitted to fiow under pressure`from the pipe 12 through the casing 10 into the port or waterway 26 andthe passage 25 `of the bored plug 22. The pressure of the water againstthe lower' end of the piston-Valve 38 lifts the valve and i-mpels itendwise in the chamber 29, the piston-valve being guided by the ribs oriianges within said chamber 29. At the initial upward movement of thepiston-valve under the pressure of the waterthe lower end ofthe blindpassage 34: is exposed and the piston-Valve traverses the drain-portIOI) IIO

37 before the waterways 35 in the chambered plunger-valve are opened,whereby the waterpressure in the blind passage acts against thepiston-valve to force it laterally into close frictional contact withthe Wall of the plungervalve in Whichthe drain-port 37 is formed,thereby closing the drain-port againstthe leakage of water. Thecontinued upward movement of the pistou-valve under the pressure of thewater which accumulates in the charnber 29 of the plunger-valve opens orexposes the Waterways 35 to permit the Water to flow around thepiston-valve through the waterways 35into the enlarged part36 of thechamber and thence to the discharge-pipe, and if the pressure of wateris vsufficient to still further elevate the piston-valve its nib 40impinges against the stop-bar 42 to positively arrest the upwardmovement of the piston'- valve under pressure of the water. During lthevertical `travel ofthe piston-valve it is kept closely pressed againstthe side of the plunger-valve having the drain-port by the pressure ofthe water confined within the blind passage,' and thus the drain-port isclosed securely by the piston-valve while the plunger-valve is open andthe water is'fiowing through the hydrant. When the water is cut olf andthe plunger-valve is lowered to its seat the piston-valve is permittedto descend by gravity and to restupon the threaded plug 22, and thedescent of the piston-valve uncovers the drain-port 37 for the water inthe pipe 19 to discharge through the drainport 37, thus overcoming anytendency of the water to freeze in the hydrant-and preventing any escapeof water whiletapping the main.

The outside pipe 16 of the hydrant is provided with a drain or wasteport 16 at or near the lower end for the water to make its escape whendrained from the hydrant.

Changes may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts,while their es sential features are retained and the spirit of theinvention embodied. Hence I do not desire to be-limited to the preciseform of all the parts as shown, reserving the rightto vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim isl. In a waste-valve,the combination of a chambered casing provided with waterways and with adrain-port which communicates with a piston-valve chamber within saidcasing and a piston-valve movable freely in said chambered casing andseated normally therein by gravity to expose the drain-port, saidpiston-valve being moved in an-upward direction solely by the pressureof water admitted to the casing and held into close frictional contactwith that side of the casing having the drain-port by pressure of theWater in one of the ways, substantially as described.

2. In a waste-valve, a lchambered casing provided with guide-ribsarranged to form waterways and with a drain-port which communicates witha piston-valve chamber in said casing, combined with a pressure-operatedpiston-valve slidably confined by the guide-ribs within the casing andexposed to the pressure of water in one of the ways, to be dei'iectedlaterally by water-pressure into close frictional contact with the wallof the chambered casing having the drain-port, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a waste-valve, the combination' of a chambered shell provided withwaterways and with a drain-port, and a pressure-operated elongatedpiston-valve fitted slidably within the shell and arranged to close thedrain-port during its upward travel, substantially as described.

4. In awaste-valve, the combination of a chambered shell provided withinternal guideribs arranged to form waterways and with a drain-portwhich opens through one of the guide-ribs, an elongated piston-valveslidably confined within the guide-ribs of the shell and arranged toclose the drain-port when lifted by the pressure of fluid,and means forlimiting the upward movement of said piston-valve, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a waste-valve, the combination of a chambered shell provided inone wall thereof with a blindpassage and in its opposite wall with'adrain-port, combined with an elongated piston-valve slidably connedwithin the shell to close the drain-port duringits endwise movement,substantially as described.

6. In a waste-valve, the combination of a chambered plunger valveprovided with guide-ribs forming waterways and with a drain-port, aperforated plug fast with the lower end of the chambered plunger-valve,a

pressure-operated piston-valve slidably confined in the chamber of theplunger-valve, and a stop in the path of the piston-valve, substantiallyas described.

7 In a waste-valve, a chambered shell provided with internal guideways,a drain-port opening through one of said guideways, and

a s-top-bar above the guideways, in combina-V tion with an elongatedsolid piston-valve provided with a central nib and with a longitudinaldrain-passage, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aHiXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE FALK NEUMEYER.

Witnesses:

A. S. WEILER, M. S. WEIDNER.

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